TRUMAN HIGH SCHOOL POHI partners with the YMCA

The Truman High School POHI center has a partnership with the Downriver YMCA. 

Taylor School District's Special Education Assistant Director Jennifer Parrelly connected the center with Downriver YMCA Program Director Dan Marsh to try a swimming program with the students of the Truman POHI program.

POHI is an acronym that is used to describe students who have physical or other health impairments (Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Muscular Dystrophy, etc).

The Downriver Swims Program will last about eight weeks. Students have the opportunity to go in the pool two days a week with the YMCA's certified lifeguards, swim instructors and staff of the Truman POHI program.  

The program began on January 12 at Truman High School.  The students are really enjoying themselves and getting a wonderful workout. They are using muscles they don't get to use on a daily basis, since several of the students use wheelchairs for mobility.

In order to make this happen, it takes the assistance of the entire Truman POHI staff, which includes paraprofessionals, an OT, PT, nurse, teachers – even the Assistant Director Parrelly has gotten in the pool to lend a hand. 

After the first week everyone was exhausted, but agreed it was worth it to see our students out of their wheelchairs, overcoming their fear of the water, making friends with the YMCA staff and seeing the huge smiles on their faces. It has been great therapy.

Everyone in POHI is appreciative to have this wonderful opportunity and look forward to building a partnership with the Downriver YMCA.  

TAYLOR PARKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL receives visit from the librarian

At Taylor Parks Elementary School, libraries ARE relevant.

During a “Time Out for Parents” meeting at the school, the crowd welcomed Taylor Community Library Director Theresa Powers.

Ms. Powers shared all the wonderful programs available for library patrons of all ages. These include “Story Time for Toddlers”; a book club for pre-teens; “Lego Club”; the itch to stitch knitting and crocheting club; along with Braille books, laptop lounge and, of course, thousands of books.

There is something for everyone at the library. Click on     http://www.Taylor.lib.mi.us

TAYLOR PARKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL visited by Senator Hopgood

Taylor Parks Elementary School third graders have been studying Michigan and to lend a hand, State Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood paid a visit to the school. 

Sen. Hopgood spent over an hour with the students, explaining such things as his duties to the citizens of Michigan. He talked about the state being a manufacturing area, and about the famous people that helped shape our history.

He also discussed Michigan's great agricultural successes.  Sen. Hopgood also gave each student a “Michigan Facts” coloring book and bookmark.

Thank you Senator, from the staff and students at Taylor Parks.

TAYLOR PARKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL creates plenty of 'scrappy' monsters

“Arts & Scraps Family Night” was a huge success recently at Taylor Parks Elementary School. 

The evening started with a pizza dinner from Mancino's.  Nannette Kuhn, the Taylor School District Parent Facilitator, welcomed the families, briefly shared about Title I funding and then read the beginning of the book, “I Need My Monster,” by Amanda Noll.

In the book, the little boy's monster that lives under his bed goes on vacation fishing.  The boy decides he needs a substitute monster.  Several monsters come, but the boy is not satisfied with any of them. 

That is where the story was stopped and the families were introduced to “Arts & Scraps.”  Mr. D, from Arts & Scraps, gave a brief talk about recycling and gave instructions for the evening's activities.

The students were each given a bag of scraps from that was filled with the materials that they used to create a substitute monster for the boy in the book.  The students were also given the opportunity to shop on the “Scrapmobile” for free. 

On the Scrapmobile the students were able to gather more materials to be able to continue the creativity at home. Many interesting monsters were created.

Afterward, the students created a short story to go along with their monster and they told why the boy didn't want their monster for the monster under his bed. 

The evening ended with Mrs. Kuhn finishing up the story about the boy and his monster.

HOLLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL reinforces sportsmanship with tournament

How did the second graders at Holland Elementary School chase the winter blues away? They played a checker tournament.

Thanks to a class full of great kids and parent volunteers (as judges), the pupils completed their tournament on January 29 and celebrated with awards for all who participated – and pizza, too!

The purpose of our tournament was to reinforce good sportsmanship and it sure did. It was a blast! Congrats to all.

In the tournament, first place went to T. J. Smith and Gavin Smith was the runner up … along with a class full of winners.

MCDOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL offers tips for incoming kindergarteners

McDowell Elementary School hosted its first group for Kindergarten Round-up recently. Mrs. Doll gave an informative talk on what to expect when you first come to kindergarten. The staff is so happy these families joined us.

Here are some helpful tips to get you ready for next school year. Future kindergarteners should:

• Recognize rhyming sounds
• Pay attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks
• Understand actions have both causes and effects
• Show understanding of general times of day
• Cut with scissors
• Trace basic shapes
• Begin to share with others
• Start to follow rules
• Be able to recognize authority
• Manage bathroom needs
• Button shirts, pants, coats, and zip up zippers
• Begin to she control oneself
• Separate from parents without being upset
• Speak understandably
• Talk in complete sentences of five to six words
• Look at pictures and then tell stories
• Identify rhyming words
• Identify the beginning sound of some words
• Identify some alphabet letters
• Recognize some common sight words like "stop"
• Sort similar objects by color, size, and shape
• Recognize groups of one, two, three, four, and five objects
• Count to 10
• Bounce a ball

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EUREKA HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL holds Color Spirit Day

Eureka Heights Elementary School recently held "Color Spirit Day" and the students had a blast. Check out the photographs.